Do you ever feel like your children are oblivious to the hours and effort you spend doing everything in the world for them? I do.

I know that my kids do watch me. In fact, I often-times think I am training parrots as my kids mimic everything they see and hear. And I quite often think I am looking at a mirror when I see how my children reflect attitudes, mannerisms, words and actions.

But, sometimes, it seems like my children just don’t notice, understand or appreciate read more

Kids will say some of the most interesting things. Sometimes it makes you cringe, sometimes it makes you want to laugh and sometimes you are just left speechless. But, when it comes to prayer, I am often in awe of what children will say to God.

I have the awesome privilege of working with children – at home, of course, and at church. Some of the most amazing experiences I have in these roles come when I pray with children.

Kids may say the darnedest things at the worst possible moments; but, I have also heard them say some of the most

Leading, moving and managing a large group of people is a lot like HERDING CATS! This is especially true in the context of a big event; and especially true when two-thirds of those in the group are children.

Think about it, the task of simply moving a large group of people, in a short amount of time, from one place to another is just like trying to move a few dozen cats from the café serving tuna-surprise to the store down the street that claims the world’s biggest ball of string.

Sometimes it seems like leaders are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get. Some leaders are great motivators and can inspire you to accomplish more than you ever thought possible. Other leaders seem to be in over their heads and struggle even in leading the way out of their cubicle.

Think, for just a moment, about the leaders you have had? Which leaders stand out as the most influential? What is it that you really remember about that person? What made you want to follow in the footsteps of that person?

There are few people I remember as being leaders worth following. For those that I do remember, I don’t recall many specifics of what they said; but, I do remember their personality, how they treated people and how they lived their lives. read more

Actions may speak louder than words. But our reactions tell an interesting story that reveals our true character.

Many people try to manipulate the perspective of others through their actions. They try to portray a specific desired identity with the things they say and do. But, our re-actions reveal whether or not our actions are honest.

In his book, Wild Goose Chase, Mark Batterson writes that “our reactions reveal who we really are” (p.99). I have also heard similar thoughts though the years. I was once told that it is not the hard times in life that define who I am. Instead, it is how I respond to those hard times that will define who I am.

Growing our reaction muscles (reflexes to what happens in life) takes intention. Mark also writes about these instructions that Jesus gave to condition those reflexes:

Pray for those who persecute you.

Love your enemies.

Bless those who curse you.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

It is not enough, though, to just know how we should respond. We need to be intentional about our responses; and, we need to practice.

We can’t just give up the first time we hit trials and hard times. We have to keep working at it, keep learning from our experiences, and keep striving to do better.

So, how are you known? What do your reactions reveal about you, your character, your attitude, your view towards others? Maybe a better question is how do you want to be known?

Question: Have you had an experience where your reaction to a situation caused others to see something different in you than what the initial situation would have shown? You can share your story by clicking here.

Before I had children, I had grand ideas of what I would teach my children, how they would respond, and the blissful life that we would have together. However, there are three things that I forgot to take into account.

First, I don’t know everything that my kids need to know and that I need to teach them. Second, I know (e.g. say and do) way too many things that I don’t want my kids to know (e.g. say and do). And third, I didn’t know raising children meant training parrots! I didn’t know that they would repeat everything I say and do.

Raising Parrots

It all starts out simply enough. In fact, it is usually really cute (is ‘cute’ okay for a guy to say?). Think about a baby mimicking a smile or a toddler repeating a funny sound, word or phrase. read more